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Epigenetic mapping provides deeper insight into leukemia

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and Kyoto University in Japan have identified new subgroups of the blood cancer acute myeloid leukemia. The study, published in the journal Nature, shows that changes in the regulation of genes within cells can help explain variation in the disease and influence prognosis and treatment choices.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive form of blood cancer in which immature blood cells grow uncontrollably. Despite extensive knowledge of the genetic alterations underlying the disease, it is still difficult to fully understand why patients develop different disease courses. In this study, the researchers analyzed so-called epigenetics—how genes are regulated without changes to the DNA sequence.

Mouse study identifies C1 neurons as a driver of prolonged fear and anxiety

Anxiety disorders affect more than 300 million people globally. Several brain regions have been linked to anxiety, but how these regions connect has been poorly understood. By exploring these connections, scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital revealed that epinephrine-producing C1 neurons in mice modulate fear and anxiety. They found that while the activity of these neurons was normally temporarily elevated in times of stress, prolonged activation led to heightened anxiety that could last many days. Inhibition of C1 neurons reduced anxiety-like behaviors, suggesting these neurons may be worth exploring as therapeutic targets for anxiety disorders. The findings were published today in Neuron.

Anxiety helps us prepare for future threats, but when it is excessive or persistent, it can significantly affect quality of life. Medications exist to alleviate symptoms but can have off-target effects that might discourage long-term use. By identifying C1 neurons as novel modulators of fear and anxiety, Lindsay Schwarz, Ph.D., Department of Developmental Neurobiology, is hopeful that these cells could serve as a new therapeutic target for anxiety-related disorders.

“C1 neurons appear to promote anxiety without directly affecting autonomic functions,” Schwarz said. “This suggests they may be a better target than broadly affecting signaling across the entire brain and body.”

Discovery helps explain why solid-state batteries often fail

Exactly how those dendrites form is still up for debate. While the interface between the battery’s electrolyte and electrodes has been the focus of most research, another culprit is the boundary where two grains of electrolyte in a solid material meet. Researchers know these boundaries can seed dendrites within electrolytes, although the effects have been difficult to study.

Now researchers at MIT and the Technical University of Munich have uncovered why such boundaries can lead to dendrites: Hidden electrical imbalances across the boundaries affect how the electrolyte conducts electrical charges, which influences how the ions and electrons move through the material during battery operation. In a paper published today in Nature Nanotechnology, the researchers characterized the electrical and chemical behavior of the boundaries and showed that adjusting how the electrolyte is processed enhances the movement of ions while reducing electron leakage. This adjustment can increase critical current density by more than 300 percent, which could enable solid-state batteries that charge faster and last longer.

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